Among the procedures Army surgeon Hawkeye Pierce performed on M.A.S.H. was an end-to-end anastomosis. Most of the viewers, actor Alan Alda concedes, had no idea he was talking about removing a damaged piece of intestine and reconnecting the healthy pieces.

Today, the award-winning film and television star is on a mission to teach physicians, physicists and scientists of all types to ditch the jargon and get their points across in clear, simple language.

Theres no reason for the jargon when youre trying to communicate the essence of the science to the public, because youre talking what amounts to gibberish to them, Alda said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

A better understanding of science, Alda said, can benefit society in ways great and small. Physicians can more clearly explain treatments to patients. Consumers can decipher what chemicals may be in their food. And lawmakers can make better decisions on funding scientific research.

Only thing is no one needs to “teach” anybody anything. Docs just need to have the time to be able to sit down, look folks in the eye and communicate in simple English appropriate to the patients understanding.

Everyone knows how to do this; obviously Alda’s docs have chosen to confuse him with medical jargon- maybe they thought he was really Hawkeye?

Every High Priesthood MUST have its own hidden language, known only to the cognoscenti, to reinforce its image of being far, far above the plain of mere mortals and thus deserving of deferential and lucrative treatment.

SOME technical language is necessary in nearly every skilled field. However, if you cannot (or will not) communicate with those outside your chosen specialty, you are either not fully educated or else arrogant.

This applies to medical doctors, computer programmers and plumbers alike.

5
posted on 05/01/2013 12:56:02 PM PDT
by BwanaNdege
("To learn who rules over you simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize"- Voltaire)

The biggest joke of all is that doctors routinely explain things in plain English if they explain at all. Alda had to shop this drivel around for years until he found a school Stony Brook that would bankroll his last ditch desperate effort at retaining his career. Funny the only example he could give was one that showed there is really no problem.

When a Dr. tells me something like this, I just say Dr. tell me in terms I can understand. I didn't spend the amount of money you did to learn what those terms mean. He laughs and tells me in terms I can understand. Not really difficult to get them to do this. A doctor tends to tell things in language he deals with, often forgetting his patient doesn't have a clue as to what he is talking about.

My other favorite comeback is, is that good or bad and if bad how long do I have?

I agree in as much as it's nice to have a doc who can relate to laymen on familiar terms, but it sounds like Aldo is on a newspeak crusade to overhaul the language.

Professional jargon is like the free market; terms that are more precise and efficient for a given discipline will become common vernacular in those fields and have little meaning to those external to it. If the use of those terms makes the practitioners of those trades more effective and efficent, I'm all for it.

Frankly, if I was diagnosed with an unusual or complicated medical condition, I'd do everything within my power to become as much of a subject matter expert on it so that I could better communicate with the technician (physician) I had engaged to help me get through it. I don't hire mechanics to explain to me how they are going to fix my car; I just want them to fix it. It's up to me to know enough about my car and how it works so that when they explain to me what they're going to do, and (more importantly) what it's going to cost, I'll know if it makes sense or not.

He’s a leftist loon but there is some merit in this effort. I worked with a fellow who was having some bowel disorder. I didn’t inquire too deeply into the matter but it was clear he was parroting what his doctor told him. I know that he misheard some of it because he kept referring to his ass-ending colon

25
posted on 05/01/2013 1:13:07 PM PDT
by muir_redwoods
(Don't fire until you see the blue of their helmets)

The doctors use “big words you don’t understand” because they’re generally using Latin terms because Latin is a *static* language whose words don’t change over time. This is because doctors and scientists in general need exacting terms to alleviate confusion otherwise misinterpretations can occur.

I mean, really, you’re not in support of dumbing down the language... Right?

My vet likes the fact that I actually make an attempt to understand and learn what she’s talking about. She says I’m the type of person who doesn’t sue because I never let her do anything without a clear understanding of what’s going on.

27
posted on 05/01/2013 1:14:10 PM PDT
by cripplecreek
(REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)

I have a lot of experience with hospitals, Doctors and numerous surgeries. Never, did one Doctor hesitate to explain something if I didn’t understand it. If you graduated high school, you should be able to understand what a Doctor is telling you, it’s not that hard and it’s up to you to ask the Doctor.

Too many people go to the Doctor’s office, he asks how are you doing and most people say OK. If you have a problem, it’s not up to the Doctor to get a psychic to figure out what your problem is; tell him why you’re there and trust me, no matter what you say, the Doctor is not going to be embarrassed, he’s probably done many prostate exams so he’s probably seen it all unless you’re a ‘box’ patient.

These are patients that show up at the ER with a box over their genitals and something on them that won’t come off. I have a relative who is an RN who has some hilarious stories about things like that. No gerbils though.

30
posted on 05/01/2013 1:18:24 PM PDT
by Lx
(Do you like it, do you like it. Scott? I call it Mr. and Mrs. Tennerman chili.)

So, the thigh bone is precisely called femur, and a heart attack is precisely called myocardial infarction.

Because laymen’s terms are not precise, they can lead to confusion: a “stroke” includes cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral embolism, cerebral thrombosis, transient ischemic attack, and similar events in other parts of the brain, e.g., brainstem, thalamus, etc. So, doctor-to-doctor, we try to use very precise terms so that the patient’s condition is clearly and compactly expressed and understood.

Jargon is usually the use of common words in an uncommon way - interestingly, the “uncommon way” is often the original meaning of the word.

For example, in medicine, we use the word “attend” to mean “to pay attention” (the original Latin meaning) and “articulate” to describe how joints fit together (again, from the original Latin). These usages simply represent the way doctors are trained to talk to each other with precision.

Now, Mr. Alda is correct inasmuch as we should be trained to speak to patients in terms that are precise and understandable. Usually this means translating the terms for the patient, for example:

“Your wife had a thrombotic stroke in the distribution of the left middle cerebral artery - that means that this artery (pointing to a picture) developed a blockage in the artery the feeds blood to the part of the brain that can affect speech and motion of the right side of the body. This is not the type of stroke that is caused by bleeding or by a clot that travelled from the heart.”

No do you see why “thrombotic Left MCA CVA” is the term that doctors use when speaking to other doctors?

I go to a university health system. They always ask how you would like to receive your information - in writing, have someone talk to you, in a different language, with someone with you, etc.

If there is a problem with doctors not speaking in plain English, it’s my contention that it’s the patient’s fault for not demanding an explanation they can understand. I know a number of elderly people who will not confront the doctor at all, but wait until they get home and ask their grown children to explain things.

"Right, kick ass. Well, don't want to sound like a dick or nothin', but, ah... it says on your chart that you're f----d up. Ah, you talk like a fag, and your s--t's all retarded. What I'd do, is just like... like... you know, like, you know what I mean, like..."

Every High Priesthood MUST have its own hidden language, known only to the cognoscenti, to reinforce its image of being far, far above the plain of mere mortals and thus deserving of deferential and lucrative treatment.

SOME technical language is necessary in nearly every skilled field. However, if you cannot (or will not) communicate with those outside your chosen specialty, you are either not fully educated or else arrogant.

This applies to medical doctors, computer programmers and plumbers alike.

Gilgamesh, a king. Gilgamesh, a king. At Uruk. He tormented his subjects. He made them angry. They cried out aloud, “Send us a companion for our king! Spare us from his madness!” Enkidu, a wild man... from the forest, entered the city. They fought in the temple. They fought in the streets. Gilgamesh defeated Enkidu. They became great friends. Gilgamesh and Enkidu at Uruk.

45
posted on 05/01/2013 1:42:36 PM PDT
by cripplecreek
(REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)

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